This intersection at Jackson and Clark in Chicago’s Loop district, along with a stretch of North Sheridan Road in my neighborhood, has been responsible for more of my CC sightings than probably all other locations combined. It may sound like hyperbole, but it has been here that I’ve photographed a 1974 Plymouth Satellite Sebring Plus, a ’79 Pontiac Catalina two-door, an MGB GT (which remains to be written up), and a few other goodies. This past Friday afternoon, as I was walking to that final Red Line train of the workweek back to my neighborhood, this New Millennium-era rarity came barreling southbound down Clark. Traffic cooperated and gave me a view, and my reflexes and shutter finger served me well.

I was in my mid-twenties and had just started my post-college career in the insurance industry when the VehiCROSS made its debut. I had called this thing the “Axiom” for months before seeing one up close and reading the decal on the wide C-pillar, with its dual fonts and unique combination of lower- and upper-case letters. After checking the internet to see what an “Axiom” actually was, it occurred to me that Isuzu had wasted a great naming opportunity. Any thing with the letter “X” in its name automatically seems just a little wicked, and look at this conveyance. It has fangs in its grille, for crying out loud. It is short and sinister and from the front, it looks like a cobra ready to strike.

I’m not the only one who thought this SUV was called the Axiom. My older brother was also fooled. He and I would spot one in traffic (which, to be clear, was not often) and pronounce “AX-iom!” with emphasis. Also fooled was the daughter of one of my co-workers at the time. Cathy’s daughter, Kristin, was in the market for a new car and was quite taken with the VehiCROSS, but thought it was called something else. The Monday following the weekend test drive of what was supposed to be one of these, Cathy told a small group of us about how she and Kristin had gone to the Isuzu dealership. They did have a few Axioms on the lot, but Kristin looked at it confusedly and stated this was not the truck she wanted. When Kristin described her dream Isuzu, the salesperson correctly identified it as a VehiCROSS – and went on to state they didn’t have any and wouldn’t for a while. Needless to say, and as recounted by Cathy, Kristin was very disappointed, and they left without making a purchase.

The irony is that the actual Axiom wasn’t a bad-looking vehicle. It didn’t look very “corporate GM”, and didn’t seem to share any obvious visual similarities to other vehicles in the Isuzu lineup. It was somewhat unique, but still a boxier, more conventional design. More importantly, and to the point of this article, it didn’t look like something called an “Axiom”. That’s not to say that the “VehiCROSS” moniker would have suited the Axiom better via nameplate swap with the former, but if I was in Isuzu’s North American Branch Naming Department (if something like that existed), I would have sent a few folks back to the drawing board to rename the Axiom something else so I could affix those five letters to this vehicle.

Oh, wait…what’s this? A temporary plate affixed to the rear window? You know this guy is smiling ear-to-ear with his new-to-him purchase. One doesn’t just accidentally wind up with used example of an Japanese SUV with a total U.S. import run of less than 4,200 units over three, measly model years. I did manage to snap a frame featuring the driver, but the picture wasn’t of great quality, and hey – I’m not trying to embarrass the guy. He might be a regular CC reader. (Many prefer the anonymity of reading and not commenting, which is perfectly alright.) He did look to be about my age, so perhaps he, like me, remembered when the Axiom…ahem, VehiCROSS (I’m sorry, I still think that’s such a dumb name) was the deal. It may not have been the prettiest thing on four wheels, but it certainly looked in-your-face as only could a vehicle born in that booming, more-of-everything time at the end of the last century. Many happy miles, Friend.

26 Comments

These always make me laugh. Literally. I am not laughing at the driver or because the car is funny looking, but at the way someone, somewhere, and every so often decides to offer a really, really out-there car. This is one of them. I keep forgetting that these exist, which makes it all the more fun when one pops up here.

Every line on this little thing is completely wrong, but it all comes together somehow into a package that looks like complete fun. I had never noticed the fangs on the front, but now that you have mentioned them Joe, I will never un-see that. And it makes me laugh again.

And now, I’m also laughing, JP. It’s a look that’s so wrong, it’s right. But I like it! I wonder if AMC had lasted into the 90’s and had attempted a non-Jeep SUV, what that would have looked like… Like this, perhaps?

I visited family at Dearborn and Lake streets in the loop this past spring. Finding a place to park my car that did not cost a small fortune was not possible. Beautiful district in the Windy city and just a short train ride from Wrigley Field!

Pricing for parking in the downtown area is ridiculous. I’m afraid to check to see what it costs to park in the Sears Tower parking lot across from where I work. Glad you enjoyed your visit to Chicago.

When I saw the first picture on the front page of CC, my first thought was the movie “Spy Kids” from 2001 (I was ten at the time, so I remember there being a weird Isuzu in the movie). Nope…there was no VehiCROSS in the movie, but rather the ZXS concept car that became the Axiom.

There’s almost a bit of a Mandela Effect going on with these Isuzus! But the simpler explanation is that both the VehiCROSS and the Axiom were futuristic-looking and remarkably similar to their concept versions. Unfortunately, neither could save Isuzu in the US. (And neither could the brief revival of Joe Isuzu.)

I didn’t know these were that rare. I’ve seen probably 10 different ones in Oregon traffic. I love Isuzus, they’re underrated. My ’94 Trooper is still serving me well, one of the most reliable vehicles I’ve owned.

I saw one at the Woodward Dream Cruise. I think that in time it will at least be a curiosity if not valuable. Many SUVs and pickups are climbing in value – Bronco, Blazer, Range Rover, etc. It was ahead of its time, similar to the Axiom. It’s sad for Isuzu that being ahead of the market never paid off. Reminds me of the AMC Eagle – Subaru Outback situation. If I found a clean VehiCross I would pick it up and tuck it away. Who knows, at a Mecum auction in 2036 I could cash in! (or not)

I’m actually glad to hear an import SUV like this one was in the Woodward Dream Cruise. Being from that part of Michigan, and knowing how much our domestic makes are a part of our heritage, I hope its owner felt included in the festivities. I have yet to check out the Dream Cruise, as I’m usually back in Flint that week for Back To The Bricks.

A co-worker in my post-college job bought one of these, lightly used. It was literally his dream car–he’d talked about the thing for a solid year. They’re certainly not for everyone but they are cool in their own odd turn-of-the-millenium way. We joked that it was what you would get if Nike were to design a vehicle.

Underneath the swoopy panels is actually a pretty stout truck though. These things are based on the SWB Trooper, with a supercharger bolted onto the V6. They’re solid, capable, and quite a bit heavier than one might expect.

Good to see one in traffic! I imagine more than a few have been squirreled away in collections, and more than that have probably met their end in off-road shenanigans.

Brendan, it’s funny you should mention that. Before this year, I don’t think I had seen one since the early 2000’s. And then I saw two (presuming the one I saw earlier this year wasn’t this same one before changing hands).

I remember first seeing one of these in person. I thought it was hideous to look at. Its least attractive feature was its front end. I remember wondering to myself “who in their right mind would buy this? I know I wouldn’t, and I like Isuzu trucks. I used to back in the 80s. By the 90s, not so much. My biggest peeve with Isuzus was its lack of turbo diesel engines for their light trucks (P’up) and cars. They were available in the 80s, but by the 90s, not anymore.

Ah, the rare 2 door SUV. When Mitsubishi and Dodge stopped making the 2 Door Montero / Raider I ended up with a 4 door Montero. Then Isuzu Dropped this Bomb. The Montero was too new to trade in (It lasted 20 years until we handed it down and it is still running) So I missed the boat on the Vehicross. I think it wa one of the coolest SUVs of it’s time.

I actually liked this truck. There was one that sat in the showroom of the Isuzu dealership I worked at for a little while back when they were new. Nobody had any interest in it. I remember they threw a party when the car finally was sold (at almost wholesale)

Didn’t these have some sort of sophisticated and advanced (for the time) AWD system? I wonder how stout they were and how they actually performed off-road.

Besides being a halo vehicle to lure people into the showroom for more pedestrian Isuzu products, I guess they were sort of going for someone who really wanted a futuristic Wrangler but there just wasn’t a market for them, particularly when they looked so much like an Amigo.